Page 10 of The Whispering Night
“Oh yeah. Whisperer, not Rustler.” Ms. Morgan wags her head. “No, I’m afraid Mason’s never mentioned anything about that. But hey, have you ever considered…”
That I’m crazy?Winnie thinks.That it’s all in my head? Because yeah, I worried about that for a while.
“… that maybe it isn’t a nightmare?” Ms. Morgan shrugs. “I don’t know. Just something to think about. You’re the Luminary, not me!”
Winnie blinks at the petite, round-hipped lady who made her memorize poems two years ago. Ms. Morgan is shockingly close to the heart of the matter.Pure Heart. Trust the Pure Heart.Like, so close she has basically guessed what’s really going on.
But maybe that’s to be expected. Ms. Morgan is a non, after all. Her culture doesn’t run thicker than blood, so maybe it’s only natural she’d have an outsider’s view on things.
“Thanks, Ms. Morgan.” Winnie offers her a smile. It’s tight, but real. Then she finishes shoving the applicationandher secret pages into her backpack (she digs those all the way down to the bottom; no falling out this time). “I really appreciate the application.”
“Of course, Winnie.” The teacher beams. “I’m always on your side.”
CHAPTER
4
The rest of Winnie’s school day is blissfully uneventful. On the ride to Falls’ Finest in the Wednesday family van after Sunday training, Winnie revels in the continued elation of Bretta and Fatima, who refer (in the cagiest of terms) toour third trial that we have to keep totally secret. Everyone laughs along willingly, Winnie loudest of all.
Although she can’t help but notice Emma isn’tquiteas enthusiastic. So while they trace the brick sidewalks of downtown toward the glossy, glassy entrance of the main shopping hub in Hemlock Falls, Winnie hangs back. Emma might officially be off crutches, but she’s still in a cast and always a few steps behind.
It doesn’t help that the streets are extra crammed from an influx of foreign Luminaries here to enjoy the Nightmare Masquerade. The only two restaurants in town (the Très Jolie and the Revenant’s Daughter) have lines stretched down the sidewalk. Plus, decorations cover everything: banners on the streetlamps, colored lanterns in the trees, garlands on benches and trash bins, and—annoyingly—that inaccurate basilisk poster everywhere.
Come on, Darian! Why wouldn’t you consult your sister before printing that design in bulk?
“Hey,” Winnie offers Emma quietly. “How are you feeling about… this?” She dips her head toward Bretta and Fatima, who bound forward, arms around each other like they’re off to see the Wizard (the wonderful Wizard of Oz!).
Emma sighs. She doesn’t need Winnie to elaborate on whatthismeans.“You know, I’m happy for Bretta. I really am. And I’m sure she’ll leap right into training—”
Winnie’s insides curdle at the wordtraining. She definitely forgot about Aunt Rachel’s email from that morning.
“—because that’s how Bretta is. She sees what she wants and she just… Well, she goes and gets it. Even when we were babies, she walked a full month sooner than I did. Mom always says it was because Bretta was way too impatient and wanted to make sure she could get to our toys and have first pick. But…” Emma trails off.
Winnie lets a silence stretch between them, broken only by the ambient noise of other Luminaries milling about in the blustery downtown. Emma will say what she wants in her own time, and it’s one of the things Winnie most appreciates about her. Emma is always intentional, in her words, in her movements, in her choices.
Sure enough, right when they reach the entrance to Falls’ Finest, shoppers moving more speedily around them, Emma finally offers: “I think this might be another time where Bretta’s ready to walk, but I’m still good with crawling. Does that make sense? I know I passed my third trial, and I know I felt ready before I went into it with you… But I didn’tlikebeing out there. And not because of the harpy or the werewolf or any of the other nightmares I saw. I didn’t… well, I don’t think I feel like Bretta does when she’s in those trees.”
Winnie nods. They have stopped walking. Fatima and Bretta are gone, swallowed up by the store along with all the other Luminaries who need last-minute outfits for the week of celebration.
“It definitely makes sense.” Winnie reaches out to touch her friend’s arm. Just a gentle brush above Emma’s elbow. “And I’ll support you whether you join the hunt or become a networker or give up entirely on the Luminaries.” Her throat tightens on those last words. Shereallydoesn’t want Emma to give up entirely on the Luminaries.
Emma smiles. “Don’t tell Bretta, okay? She still thinks I’m going to go full hunter mode as soon as I’m out of this cast. And hey—I might. I’ll definitely attend some training sessions before I make any decisions. But…”
“But,” Winnie agrees. “And don’t worry: I won’t say a word to anyone.”
“I know.” Emma briefly rests her head on Winnie’s shoulder in a sideways half hug. Her braids smell like her favorite lilac perfume. “That’s why I like you so much, Winnie. You’re a great listener, and a steel vault for secrets. Sometimes, that’s exactly what a gal needs.”
While Winnie knows Emma’s words were offered in kindness, they pummel and churn like stones in a harpy gizzard.You’re a great listener, and a steel vault for secrets.
Yeah, Winnie is a steel vault all right. The kind that’s really heavy and sinks down to the bottom of a lake. Probably the Big Lake while kelpies and sirens feast on her bones. First, Winnie has too many secrets of her own, ranging from dad-shaped to Diana-shaped to lying-about-a-banshee-shaped. Then she has all these other people’s secrets too. Like Jay’s bona fide status as a daywalking nightmarewerewolf. Or Erica’s unabashed, strutting-around status as afreaking Diana.
Fortunately, there’s not enough space in Winnie’s abdomen for guilt to wedge in. It’s justso stinking funto be with her new best friends. Plus, she hasn’t been shopping in actual years, and on top of that,sheisn’t the one who has to pay for new clothes because according to Fatima, Winnie has access to the Wednesday clan’s credit line.
“Mom told me I need to look good for all the foreign Luminaries coming to town.” Fatima is studying the seam quality on a pair of cherry-red trousers as she says this. “Then she told me I should buy a few things for you too, Win.Our local celebrity must look her best!” Fatima shrugs, glancing at Winnie with clear apology in her blue eyes. “Not that you don’t always look your best, I mean.”
Winnie doesn’t take it personally that Fatima’s mom Leilaalsothinks her wardrobe sucks. Or at least, the truth stings a lot less once she has a pair of dark jeans, a fitted white T-shirt, and a wispy black dress with a pink flower pattern (that Bretta picked out for her) folded inside a paper bag. She even gets some black ankle boots she can wear with the dressandthe jeans, and although Fatima insists Winnie should buy more stuff if she wants it…
Well, Winnie is pretty sure there’s a point at which she’s just beinggreedy. Besides, the one thing she really wants are new glasses, but that is beyond the purview of Falls’ Finest.
